Assessment of Gender-Based Violence against Women with Physical Disabilities in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a critical human rights violation; however, its impact on women with physical disabilities is often marginalized in empirical discourse. This study examines the prevalence of gender-based violence against women with physical disabilities in Benin City, identifies key socioeconomic vulnerability factors, and assesses the effectiveness of existing support systems/social work interventions. Utilizing a concurrent triangulation mixed methods design, quantitative data were collected from 422 women with physical disabilities through a descriptive cross-sectional survey, supplemented by qualitative insights from in-depth interviews with 12 informants, including social workers, NGO representatives, and law enforcement officials. The study adopted the social disability theory, which shifts the focus of disabilities from individual pathology to societal and structural barriers. The findings revealed a significant prevalence of physical violence and psychological abuse. Notably, withholding mobility aids emerged as a unique coercive tactic used by caregivers and partners to restrict autonomy. Socioeconomic analysis identified a highly significant correlation between unemployment and abuse frequency, with financial instability and physical dependency acting as the primary drivers of vulnerability. Institutional assessments indicated systemic failure; participants rated public building accessibility, availability of disability-inclusive shelters, and law enforcement responsiveness as ineffective. Conversely, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were perceived as the most effective support systems. The study recommends institutionalized data collection, implementation economic empowerment and accessibility policies for women with physical disabilities and disabilities training for frontline responders.